Learn To Love The Skies I'm Under
by fmd-jade
Summary: "I will remember the words that you said, left a clouded mind and a heavy heart, but I am sure we could see a new start." Donna is not done protecting Harvey - even from himself.


The cushioned sound of Donna's high heels pulled Harvey from the study of his files. He was sprawled across the lounge chair and only two lamps illuminated his office at this late hour.

Without sparing him a glance, Donna stalked into the office and deposited even more files on the already existing pile on his desk. "Here is the rest on Anderson." She said tersely.

"O-kay." he said cautiously, eyeing her warily.

"Good." She said with finality and a fake smile. "I'll be heading out then." She turned around on her heels, never meeting his gaze.

"Donna, wait." Harvey sat up fully and put the files down next to him. He waited until she turned around again and took a few tentative steps in his direction, stepping behind the armchair.

"Anything else?" She asked, as her fingers moved over the leather.

"Yes." Harvey got up and walked over to her. "Tell me what the hell is going on."

Donna frowned and Harvey had to hand it to her. She really was a damn fine actress. "What do you mean?"

"Is there something I should know about? Because you've been acting very strange ever since we forgave Mike. In fact you've been avoiding me."

She gestured to the dark office around them. "I'm here right now, aren't I?"

"That's bullshit. You never tell me any office gossip anymore-"

"You've never wanted to hear it in the first place!" Donna interrupted him.

"- that's besides the point! You don't share meals with me anymore and you stopped listening in on me." He said with finality. "Something's off. _We_ are off. Why the hell do you act as if I run over your cat?"

Donna crossed her arms. "Just so you know, if you ever do run over my cat, there won't be any place on Earth where you can hide from me."

Harvey put his hands into his pockets and scowled. "You don't have a cat. You don't even like them."

"Besides the point." She said.

"Donna." Harvey said lowly and shook his head. He would not let this go.

Donna sighed and closed her eyes for a second and if you didn't know her, you might have missed her shoulders sagging. Harvey did know her.

He took a step closer to her, well bordering on her personal space. "What's wrong?" He asked gently.

She met his gaze with large, sad eyes. "You know who I like?"

Harvey waited. He was not in the mood for anymore games. Donna not being herself the last few days had been enough to set him off.

"Rachel. I really like Rachel."

Realisation dawned on him. "And she hasn't forgiven you yet, for…?"

"Any of it!" Donna exclaimed with wide arms.

"You mean telling Mike to break up with her." Harvey surmised.

Donna just looked at him and he could see tears pooling in her eyes. He was right.

"She'll get over it."

"No, she won't." Donna shook her head. "And she has every right not to."

"You did the right thing, Donna. You made the right choice." Harvey said with conviction.

Donna looked down at the carpet beneath their feet, not believing what she was going to say. "No. I just chose you. I always choose you. And it always comes back biting me in the ass."

Harvey's gaze darkened immediately at her words. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Donna bit down in her lip. "I trust you, Harvey. I have ever since you came into my office twelve years ago and declared that we would be good together."

"I said we'd be _great_ together and I was right." He pointed out.

"You were an arrogant ass." Donna deadpanned.

"It's not arrogance if you know it's true."

"Yes it is. And you were just trying to get into my pants."

Harvey leaned into her, his nose almost brushing hers. The hands in his pockets were clenched to tight fists. "I was already in your pants." He said with a self-satisfied smirk.

Donna closed her eyes and dropped her head. Her forehead brushed against his nose. His eyes travelled over her face, his gaze brushing her lips more than once. "I just hope that in the end it will be all worth it." She looked up to meet his gaze again.

Harvey's eyebrows shot up and he took a few steps back from her. "You told me, you'd go to THE ENDS OF THE WORLD WITH ME!" He lashed out at her.

"And I would!" Donna shot back. "I would do it _all _over again! I'm just starting to wonder what's waiting for us at the end! Because so far, what we gain does not come out ahead of our losses… Of my losses."

"Donna." His voice sounded grave and dangerous. If she was saying what he thought she was… He choked.

His face might not have given anything away, but Donna immediately took a few steps in his direction, crowding his space. "I'm not leaving you. I can't. And I won't." She reassured him.

_I can't._

Not: I don't want to.

"Then what the hell are you implying?" Harvey growled.

"Are you happy? With how things are going right now? Because I'm not. I miss my friend and I miss the fun and excitement in working here."

Her innocent question threw him and took the wind out of his sails. Harvey took a deep breath before walking over towards the window, trying to watch the illuminated skyscrapers around them. All he saw was himself, hands in his pockets, and Donna's figure in the background.

"No." He quietly admitted.

"Then what would it take?"

He turned around facing her with a half smile on his lips. "Seriously?"

"Yes." She looked at him with wide and open eyes. "What would it take?"

"My name. On the door." Harvey scowled.

Donna stepped closer to him. "Okay, let's do it."

Harvey chuckled. "Just like that, he? What do you think I've been doing for the last months?"

She smiled knowingly at him. "You said _your name on the door_." She pointed out with a knowing smirk that irritated him already.

"So?"

Donna gulped.

This was it.

"Let's get our own door. A clean break. No more games."

"Donna." Harvey shook his head. If she looked at him like that, pleading and desperate, it almost made him wish it were that simple.

"What?" She asked exasperatedly.

"You can't be serious about this." Harvey shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh, I am damn serious about this." Donna said and squared her jaw.

Harvey shook his head and looked over her shoulder into the dark corridors of the firm. "This is our home."

"Which you are ready to plow through and break apart if that's what it takes to get your damn name on the damn door. And if you succeed-"

"_When_." Harvey corrected her sharply.

"When you succeed, there won't be anything left to hold dear about it." Donna said and gently grabbed his forearm. "Harvey, I know what it's like to lose everything you care about. Been there, done that and even got the complimentary T-Shirt."

Harvey's gaze darkened.

She was not going there.

"I did not ask you to do any of that!"

Donna shook her head and huffed in indignation. "Yes, well, tough luck. I did it anyway. To protect _you_, you ungrateful bastard. And it cost me my best friend, my job, my pride and now Rachel's friendship."

Harvey suddenly looked up at this. _Her best friend_… Rachel.

Not the same.

Donna just shot him a knowing smirk, realizing that he finally caught on.

"What do you want from me, Donna?" He squinted at her, knowing that she had him.

"I want you to listen to me." Donna pleaded. "Everything I ever did, I did it to protect you. But I don't know how to protect you from yourself. So let's get the hell out of Dodge while you still have that stellar reputation of yours."

Harvey laughed humorlessly and shook his head. "How the hell do you suppose I do that, he? Where do you want me to start?" He said mockingly.

"With Rachel Zane." Donna said calmly and crossed her arms.

"Rachel? I don't even know her, nor do I care about her." Harvey pointed out.

"Well then get to know her. Because you are sending her to Law School and hiring her as your first Associate." Donna said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah right. And I just have to get her into Harvard for that." He said mockingly.

"Or any other Law School, because you'll be hiring her no matter where she gets her degree from. But I suggest the accelerated program at Columbia, this way she can still work here and it only takes us two years to get there. Two years in which you will have to find a way out of your non-compete clause."

"And why would she want to work for me?"

Donna just rolled her eyes. "Because she'll be wanting to work with Mike. Your senior associate."

Harvey huffed. "My senior associate? Right. Any other personnel matters you already took care of? Like a senior partner?"

Donna clasped her hands together in front of her and blinked a few times for good measure.

Harvey sighed dejectedly. "Who?"

"I think _Specter Litt_ has a nice ring to it." Donna said with a straight face.

"Oh, see. Now I know you're just making fun of me."

Donna just smiled sheepishly at him and shook her head.

"You mean…?" Harvey pointed in the vague direction of Louis' office.

She nodded.

"No! Never! Under any circumstances! Not in a million years!" Harvey boomed.

Donna just kept nodding and smiling gently at him.

Harvey walked over towards the side table and poured himself a generous amount. He took a sip before walking over towards his couch and sitting down. "Why would I do that to myself?" He asked, but not with as much fight as he had shown moments earlier.

Donna sank down next to him and smiled sympathetically at him. "He likes you."

Harvey snorted as he leant forward on his elbows. "Who doesn't?!"

"He is a good lawyer." Donna kept pressing on and ignored his objections.

"He's is mediocre at best."

"_And_ you respect him." She gently pointed out.

He took a deep breath and looked back to see her leaning back against the pillows complacently. "Don't look so smug." He leant back as well and threw his arm over the back of the couch. His hand came to rest above her shoulder, bare thanks to her sleeveless dress. His fingers immediately played with a strand of her hair. "Specter Litt…" He trailed off. "You do realize that right now Louis hates me again for taking Mike back."

"Oh that's okay." Donna said easily. "You have two years to rectify that."

Harvey shook his head in quiet disbelief. "You are serious. You've really thought about this."

Donna nodded. "Yes, I have." She said gently.

"Why? What's in it for you?"

"Well my own office, I hope." She quipped.

"Donna." Harvey said seriously.

She leant forward, avoiding the light caress of his fingers on her shoulder. "I'm tired of Jessica toying around with you. She has no right."

That's not what he'd asked, but he'd let it slide.

For now.

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